Students at the University of Liverpool have completed the first pilot of a new AI Micro-Internship programme, building consulting and applied AI skills in partnership with Accenture while tackling real-world challenges set by regional employers.
Powered by Springpod, the programme is embedded within the University’s “Liverpool Launchpad” employability initiative and showcases a scalable new model for delivering high-quality, immersive work-based learning.
The pilot responds to a growing challenge in higher education: how to give large numbers of students access to meaningful, real-world experience beyond the constraints of traditional placements, while also meeting employer demand for AI-ready, work-ready graduates.
Why Springpod, Liverpool, and Accenture came together
The University of Liverpool sought to extend access to high-quality work experience to more students, earlier in their degree, and in a format that could scale across disciplines. Accenture brought deep expertise in consulting, solution design and responsible AI, alongside a strong commitment to widening participation and expanding access to opportunity for students from all backgrounds. Springpod provided the platform, programme design, content creation and learning infrastructure to bring these ambitions together in a structured, outcomes-driven experience.
The result was an AI Consulting Micro-Internship: a four-week, fully digital programme giving students hands-on exposure to real employer challenges from a mix of multinational organisations — including Jaguar Land Rover and Kyndryl — and regional SMEs such as LYVA Labs, Baltic Creative, Cloud Jungle, Davies Partnership and National Museums Liverpool. Students developed consulting methodologies and applied AI skills without the barriers of location, background or prior experience.
The problem the programme set out to solve
Universities and employers face a shared set of challenges:
- Students are finding it increasingly difficult to access meaningful work experience and internships at scale, making it harder to stand out in a highly competitive graduate job market.
- Employers are inundated with applications and often struggle to identify graduates who demonstrate strong problem-solving, innovation, communication, and AI literacy skills.
- University employability teams are under increasing pressure to deliver work-based learning at scale for large student cohorts.
This collaboration set out to test whether micro-internships could bridge that gap by delivering authentic employer engagement while remaining inclusive, flexible, and scalable.
Reflecting on the partnership, Iwan Williams, Director of Careers at the University of Liverpool, said:
“Our partnership with Springpod has positioned us well to respond to the evolving demands of the higher education sector, enabling more students to access meaningful, real-world experiences. Through this collaboration, we have developed innovative solutions tailored to our unique environment that address key challenges faced by our students, employer partners, and wider University. We are committed to delivering impactful outcomes for the future.”
Designing for scale and inclusion
Oliver Fisher, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Springpod, added:
“This collaboration highlights what can be achieved when universities and employers rethink how work experience is designed. By prioritising scale, inclusion, and real-world relevance, we’ve been able to give hundreds of students access to high-quality, employer-led opportunities in a way that traditional placements alone cannot deliver.”
A spokesperson from Accenture said:
“We wanted to explore how technology could be used to create opportunities that reach students who might otherwise be excluded from traditional pathways into consulting and technology careers. Partnering with Springpod and the University of Liverpool showed that it is possible to support widening participation at scale, while helping students build the skills, confidence, and commercial awareness needed to succeed in the future of work.”
How it fits into Liverpool Launchpad
The Micro-Internship was delivered as part of Liverpool Launchpad, the University of Liverpool’s flagship employability initiative, which guarantees students access to career-boosting experiences alongside their studies.
By integrating the programme into Launchpad, the University ensured:
- Clear alignment with institutional employability goals
- High student visibility and engagement
- A repeatable model that can be embedded year-on-year
Programme overview
The experience ran over 40 hours across four weeks, combining structured learning with applied project work. Students were guided through consulting fundamentals, responsible AI use, solution design, and client-ready proposal development, before tackling real briefs set by employer partners.
The programme was designed to feel authentic, challenging, and relevant — while remaining accessible to students from all backgrounds.
Impact
The pilot delivered strong outcomes, demonstrating what’s possible when universities and employers collaborate to provide meaningful experience at scale. Over 261 students enrolled in the programme, with 62% completing employer-led projects and a Student NPS of +54 reflecting high levels of satisfaction. Learners worked on eight real employer challenges while building the skills organisations value most. Students reported significant proficiency gains across applied AI (+38%), consulting (+35%), communication (+22%), problem solving (+20%), and career confidence (+20%), alongside a clearer understanding of employer expectations and workplace readiness.
What’s next
In 2026, the University of Liverpool will run a further cohort of the programme, engaging up to 500 students. Springpod is also working closely with partners globally to expand the Micro-Internship model across schools, colleges, and universities.
You can watch the full webinar with Springpod and the University of Liverpool, where we share key insights and learnings from the pilot programme, here.
Get in touch to arrange a free consultation on how your institution can introduce Micro-Internships and deliver scalable, employer-led work experience for students.
